Bipartisan DATA Act Scheduled for Vote Wednesday

The bill establishes strong reporting standards for federal spending information – building upon the proven “Recovery Operations Center” and the landmark USASpending.gov – to build a single electronic system that combines spending information from agencies, the Treasury, and directly from recipients of federal funds.

The DATA Act has been advanced by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, who just last week held a high-profile hearing looking into lavish spending at a 2010 General Services Administration conference, and a culture of wasteful spending that goes back several years.

“Now, more than ever, the American people demand real accountability of how their tax dollars are being spent,” said committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. “It’s clear from our investigation into GSA’s lavish conference spending that accountability and increased transparency is needed. Through the bipartisan DATA Act, we can improve our oversight of federal funds by mandating clear, consistent reporting standards.”

“I firmly believe that the federal government must be held accountable for how it spends taxpayers’ hard-earned money,” said committee ranking member Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md. “The DATA Act builds on the rigorous reporting required for Stimulus Act spending, and President Obama’s Executive Order establishing the Government Accountability and TransparencyBoard, and will give legislative teeth to increased transparency and accountability over federal spending across government.”